Filed under: Motorsports , Coupe , Hybrid , Videos , Toyota , Racing There’s a new season of motor racing upon us, and while that doesn’t always mean a new crop of cars in every series, in the case of the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship , that’s exactly what it means. Porsche recently revealed its new 919 Hybrid and Audi its revised R18 E-Tron Quattro . Now it’s Toyota’s turn. Revealed today at the Paul Ricard test track in the South of France, the new TS040 Hybrid is based on the TS030 Hybrid it replaces, redesigned to meet the latest regulations established by the FIA and ACO for the World Endurance Championship and its flagship race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans . In accordance with said regulations, the TS040 is two inches narrower than the TS030 and also incorporates a new hybrid powertrain. The previous 3.4-liter V8 has been replaced by a 3.7-liter V8 developing 513 horsepower, and the new engine is coupled to an Aisin AW electric motor at the front, a Denso electric motor at the rear and a Nisshinbo super-capacitor that combine to kick out an extra 473 hp, giving the system a combined output of nearly 1,000 horsepower while consuming 25 percent less fuel than last year’s car. It also gives the TS040 all-wheel drive to help channel all that power to the road. Toyota will field two TS040s in the WEC this season, with Alex Wurz, St

Filed under: Budget , Europe , Plants/Manufacturing , Hatchback , Toyota Our tiniest Toyota ( Scion iQ notwithstanding) is about to get a little French flair. The Japanese automaker announced Thursday that its Toyota Motor Manufacturing France facility would begin building Yaris models destined for North America – specifically, the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. This will mark the first time in history that Toyota has exported vehicles to North America from Europe. Initially, Toyota will export roughly 25,000 Yaris models to North American markets from France each year. In order to handle this additional production, Toyota Motor Manufacturing France has invested 10 million euro into its French facility. Despite being somewhat of a snooze-fest ( it’s a car! ), the Yaris carries on in North America with a 106-horsepower 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, with prices starting at $14,370 for the three-door and $15,395 for the five-door, not including $795 for destination. Continue reading Toyota begins shipping Le Yaris to America Toyota begins shipping Le Yaris to America originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 May 2013 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs , Japan , Toyota A report in Japan’s Nikkei newspaper cited by Automotive News claims that the father of the Prius , Takeshi Uchiyamada, will take the role of chairman at Toyota . Currently Toyota’s vice chairman, Uchiyamada joined the automaker in 1969, and in 1994 became the chief engineer of the Vehicle Development Center that birthed The Hybrid to Rule Them All. He said of it , “When we started, the purpose wasn’t to do a specific car project. It was to make a vehicle suitable for the 21st century.” A specialist in vehicle noise, vibration and harshness, Uchiyamada’s leadership on the Prius helped continue his quiet run to the top of the company; he remains a huge fan of hybrids , but has been reticent about the place of electric vehicles in the current marketplace. If the move is confirmed – it might happen as soon as this year , according to Reuters – Uchiyamada would replace Fujio Cho, Toyota’s chairman for the past six years, who would move to an advisory role. Cho spent seven years overseeing Toyota’s manufacturing operations in Kentucky as well as spearheading manufacturing efforts in Texas, France and China. C ompany president Akio Toyoda would maintain day-to-day charge of Toyota. Toyota to name Prius developer Uchiyamada its next chairman? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Jan 2013 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .

Filed under: Performance , Etc. , Europe , Videos , Toyota By now, you’ve likely absorbed every last ounce of ink, both physical and virtual, spilled on the Subaru BRZ , Scion FR-S and Toyota GT 86 triplets. You’ve watched the videos, poured over the press releases and configured your own. And while your waking moments may be filled with imaging what it would be like to cane the 2.0-liter terror across Europe, odds are you haven’t actually done the deed. Nino Karotta has, and he’s been kind enough to document the excursion for the rest of us. Unlike most of the ham-fisted video reviews of the trio we’ve seen so far, this one delves well beyond the fact sheet to give us a glimpse of what the car is actually like to operate. Karotta takes the GT 86 from the twisting mountains of France across Germany via the Autobahn and into Austria for a date with his own AE86. With a stellar soundtrack, beautiful videography and insightful commentary, the video is what all reviews should strive to be. How does the newcomer stack up against its ancestor? We won’t spoil it for you.

Filed under: Budget , Sedan , Europe , Japan , Plants/Manufacturing , Hatchback , Toyota Toyota has already made it abundantly clear the company intends to scale back production in Japan in an attempt to combat the ever-strengthening Yen, and now it looks as if we know one of the ways the automaker plans to do so. Toyota has announced it will manufacture U.S. and Canadian-spec Yaris models in its Onnaing-Valenciennes facility in France . The plant has been producing the Yaris hatchback for European buyers since 2001, though this marks the first time in Toyota history that the automaker has built a vehicle in Europe and imported the model to the States. North American-spec Yaris models differ slightly from their European counterparts. In addition to using different fascia designs front and rear, the NA model comes available with an automatic transmission and a market-specific 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine. There is some differentiation in safety equipment between the two models as well. Japanese automakers have recently revealed that building cars in Japan and exporting them around the globe is quickly becoming a money-losing proposition. Honda has made it clear the company is seeking alternatives to producing models like the Fit and CR-Z in Japan due to the high costs associated with exporting the vehicles. Toyota to build Yaris in France for North America originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Jun 2012 17:45:00 EST.